Tracey Skechit
by The-Oddish
Summary: It's about Tracey and his life at Oak's house, and then he gets a new Pokémon... the other twerps are in it, and so far, TR are not. I'm bad at summaries! *chapter ten up*
1. And so it begins... hate mail, hate mail...

I wrote something funny before. At least, I sat and laughed as I wrote it and my friends read it and laughed too. So, here I am, making a pathetic attempt to do it again. Or at least write something readable. I don't own Pokémon yadda yadda; if I did I would be writing episodes and not fanfics.  
  
It was a normal day for Tracey Sketchit, Pokémon Watcher. He got up, and went and got the mail. There were a few letters for Prof. Oak, and the usual flood of hate mail for him. He couldn't understand it. Why did no one like him? He picked up the first letter. "You're a stupid moron in a stupid headband thing. I hate you," it read. Tracey put his hand to his headband. "But I love that headband," he said miserably. "It's the coolest thing I've ever seen! Why does no one else like it?" Then he loaded the rest of his hate mail into a wheelbarrow to put on a bonfire later on.  
  
Tracey knew better than to disturb Prof. Oak early in the morning. Instead, he went into the kitchen and made three cups of tea and some toast.  
  
Soon enough, Professor Samuel Oak and Delia Ketchum appeared in the doorway of the kitchen.  
  
"Morning, Professor," Tracey said with a smile. "I made you a cup of tea." It was difficult for Tracey to see Prof. Oak with Delia but he tried to put a brave face on it. Let the professor be happy and all that. "And one for you, Delia."  
  
"Thank you, Tracey," she said. She didn't like Tracey that much, but she tried to be polite. Maybe she was being hard on Tracey, but after he'd been looking after her son, he didn't seem to be as well fed as when Brock had been feeding him. Or maybe it just bugged her that Tracey was always at Samuel's house. Perhaps she could encourage him to meet people his own age? Go out sometimes? Stay out all night occasionally?  
  
"While we have breakfast," Prof. Oak said, "maybe you could go and feed some of the Pokémon?"  
  
It's a good job, Tracey thought, that I like that guy so much. Otherwise he wouldn't get all this work done for him. He headed out to feed each and every Pokémon their special food. It all looked the same to him--brown pellets. The Pokémon seemed to enjoy it though. Except for the time he'd mixed up Tauros food with Magikarp. He'd nearly got trampled to death by one of Ash's Tauros. He'd wondered how his "fans" knew about that. They obviously did, judging by the amount of mail he got the following day reading along the lines of "it's a shame you didn't get trampled completely to death."  
  
It hurt, just a little, that no one seemed to like him. Professor Oak let him live in his house, sure, but he did get slave labour out of that.  
  
Half an hour later, after feeding every Pokémon, Tracey stopped to devote an hour or so to sketching. He sketched a quick picture of his Marril on the top of his sketchpad, then turned to the next page and started on a sketch of his friends Misty and Ash. He supposed he did have friends, then, even though they were off travelling in Johto. And if he'd got to know that Brock better, maybe he'd be a good friend. They were the same age, after all. But, after all, Brock wanted to go off and be a Pokémon breeder with Ash. After that first experience with Professor Ivy, Tracey didn't expect Brock to want to stay with another professor.  
  
He started again, this time just sketching Misty. He couldn't quite remember how her hair stuck out... he left her hair for a moment and concentrated on sketching her eyes. Those he did remember. Deep blueish-green, just like the ocean. He sighed. He knew Ash and Misty liked each other. He knew deep down Misty would never think anything of him other than as a friend. He'd tested the two of them. Even if they didn't admit it, he knew they were made for each other. Unless Brock intervened... but the point was, she'd never be interested in TRACEY. He started sketching himself next to Misty without really thinking about it.  
  
"Tracey?"  
  
Tracey jumped. He flicked his sketchbook back to the quick sketch of Marril. "Hi, professor."  
  
"Are you busy working?" Oak enquired.  
  
"Sort of... why?"  
  
"I have a Pokémon egg, I was going to study it. I was hoping it was going to hatch. I wondered if you'd like to help?"  
  
This was a great chance for studying Pokémon! Brock was a breeder, wasn't he? And Ash would be excited about this too... it was a shame they -and Misty of course- weren't here to see it.  
  
"Well...?" Oak asked.  
  
"Oh yes, of course Professor. But... could I ring Ash and tell him about it?"  
  
"Actually..." Oak turned to a calendar hanging on a wall. There was a ring around that day's date. "They're supposed to be visiting today."  
  
Ding-DONG!  
  
"That's probably them now. Tracey, would you go and see?"  
  
Tracey nodded and headed to the front door. 


	2. Tracey's

He just hoped it wasn't someone sent to shoot him again. But he'd learnt. He put his bulletproof jacket on and unlocked the front door.  
  
"HIII!" Ash yelled excitedly.  
  
"What is up with him?" Tracey asked Misty, nodding towards Ash.  
  
"Excited to be home, I think. Is that a new jacket?"  
  
"Sort of," Tracey said sheepishly and hung it up on a coat hook quickly. "Hey guys," he said, changing the subject, "Professor Oak said he'd got hold of a Pokémon egg."  
  
"A Pokémon egg?" Brock asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Yeah, he hasn't shown it to me yet though."  
  
"Is it Ash?" Professor Oak called from inside his lab.  
  
"Yeah, it's me!" Ash yelled.  
  
"Ash, will you quit yelling? You're giving me a headache," Misty said pointedly.  
  
"Chill out, you two," Brock said tiredly.  
  
"Well, come on in then," the professor called. "Don't you want to see this egg?"  
  
Ash and Brock stampeded like a herd of Tauros towards the egg.  
  
"Ow..." Tracey said, lying on the floor where his friends had run over him.  
  
"Are you okay?" Misty asked, looking concerned.  
  
"Yeah... just fantastic," he said. Well, he was, now that Misty was looking at him like that, staring at him with her deep Vaporeon-blue eyes...  
  
"Don't you want to see this egg?" Misty asked, offering her hand to pull Tracey up off the ground.  
  
"Oh... yeah... of course..."  
  
Walking towards the main lab, Tracey noticed he and Misty were almost brushing shoulders. He didn't dare stand any closer though; she might realise what he was doing.  
  
"What's that?" Misty asked, nearly tripping over a wheelbarrow parked in the hall.  
  
"Oh, nothing," Tracey said hurriedly.  
  
"You have to be careful with the egg," Oak was saying. "You can't break it or anything."  
  
"Pika," Pikachu said curiously.  
  
"So what type of Pokémon is it?" Ash asked.  
  
Oak stared at the smallish baby-blue egg on the table in front of him. "I'm not entirely sure..."  
  
"Could it be a whole new specie of Pokémon?" Tracey asked excitedly, forgetting to try and stay cool in front of Misty.  
  
"Could well be," Oak said. "We'll just have to wait and see."  
  
"So where did you find it?" Misty asked.  
  
"Professor Elm found it in New Bark Town, and thought maybe I could have a look at it, so he transported it to me," Oak explained.  
  
"It's pretty," Misty commented. "It's such a beautiful blue, and it sort of sparkles."  
  
Tracey looked again. It did seem to sparkle. "Could it be a... shiny Pokémon, professor?"  
  
Oak shrugged. "I think it could be, but I don't want to get too excited yet."  
  
"What's a shiny Pokémon?" Ash asked, looking confused.  
  
"Some Pokémon are different colours to the rest of their kind, and they sparkle a little, a bit like this egg, and have higher stats, generally, than an ordinary one. Though of course I've only ever seen a shiny Nidoran, and a Caterpie."  
  
"They sound rare," Ash said thoughtfully. At least, as thoughtfully as Ash could. "I gotta catch one!"  
  
"Actually Ash," Oak said cautiously, "When this hatches it'll need a trainer. Would you--"  
  
"I'd love to look after it!" Ash cried.  
  
Suddenly, the egg began to wobble slightly.  
  
"What--?" Ash asked loudly, before Oak shushed him.  
  
"It's hatching," Tracey murmured, and Misty nodded in agreement. 


	3. The egg hatches

Everyone held their breath. The egg wobbled back and forth on the table, and then a small hole appeared on one side...  
  
Tracey watched closely... he grabbed his sketchbook. As a Pokémon watcher, he couldn't miss this. He scribbled a quick sketch.  
  
He looked up just in time to see a nose poke through the hole. There was a scrabbling sound, the egg rolled about a little, the hole became bigger, and a head appeared.  
  
Tracey and Misty gasped together. "Isn't that... Mew?" Tracey asked in an awed tone.  
  
"I... think so," Oak whispered.  
  
The small blue Pokémon carefully cracked its way out of the shell. It stared around at the amazed watchers. "Mew!" it said, in what sounded like a small sneeze.  
  
"It's so cute!" Misty whispered.  
  
"It is a shiny Pokémon!" Tracey added.  
  
"It's so tiny..." Brock commented.  
  
"Is it really Mew?" Ash asked.  
  
Prof Oak nodded, too shocked too speak.  
  
The Pokémon looked around at them all with its big green eyes. "Mew?"  
  
"Pikachu pika pii kachu," Pikachu said.  
  
"What's that Pikachu?" Ash asked.  
  
"Pii pika pika chu chu chu!"  
  
"`It's just a baby and it can't speak properly yet'?"  
  
Everyone laughed.  
  
"I'll have to tell the other researchers," Oak said happily. "Living proof of Mew! Elm is going to live to regret the day he said `Oak, would you like to take a look at this egg?'!" 


	4. Hello, Little Misty (or Oak talks rubbis...

Oak continued to babble happily and everyone ignored him.  
  
"Hello," Tracey said gently, putting forward one finger to stroke it gently.  
  
"Is it a he or a she, Tracey?" Ash asked.  
  
Tracey looked closer. "Hmm... a she."  
  
Oak had run over to the phone and was now yelling something that Ash could not understand a word of to Prof. Elm. Ash decided he was probably speaking a foreign language. He definitely didn't understand the only word Elm said--he didn't hear much of it but he was sure it began with an f (but then you can never trust Ash's spelling).  
  
Ash stared at the small Pokémon for a moment. "Am I really going to keep it?"  
  
Oak heard him and turned round. "Hang on a minute, Elm," he muttered. "Ash... it's not going to be a good battler, not for a long time, and... there's a rule that goes back hundreds of years, that says you can't use Mew in official league matches..."  
  
Brock nodded. "It's true Ash."  
  
"And also... I'd really like to study it so..."  
  
"I can't keep it?" Ash looked like he was going to cry or something, Misty thought.  
  
"No." Oak shook his head. Elm started yelling--something about Don't call me reverse charges and then ignore me...  
  
"Ohhh... it's not fair!" Ash yelled, and ran off.  
  
Tracey looked concerned.  
  
"He'll be alright," Misty assured him, "he's probably gone off home. He'll get over it soon."  
  
"Tracey," Oak called, "actually, I'd like you to look after it, if you want."  
  
Me? Thought Tracey. Own the rarest Pokémon of them all? "If I want? Of course I want!" Tracey cried excitedly. "Uh... I mean, that'd be really great, thanks."  
  
Oak grinned. "Well, in that case..."  
  
Suddenly Mew began to squeal at the top of her lungs is a miserable way.  
  
"She's all yours!" Oak yelled.  
  
"What do you think she wants?" Tracey yelled to Brock.  
  
"Probably hungry!" Brock yelled. "Normally their mother feeds them when they hatch, but..." Brock didn't point out that mother Pokémon usually had something Tracey didn't.  
  
"Oh!" Tracey looked at Misty. "Have you got anything we can feed her?"  
  
Misty took her hands off her ears--something that small sure has a loud voice, she thought--"What?"  
  
"What can we feed her?"  
  
Misty shrugged. "Haven't you got any milk in the fridge?"  
  
"Great idea!" Tracey stopped shouting and paused. "No--I finished it up on my cornflakes yesterday and no one bought any more!"  
  
"I'll go and get some from the supermarket!" Brock yelled.  
  
"I think I'll just... go out... somewhere..." Oak said vaguely, and left.  
  
Tracey looked at Misty. "It looks like it's just you and me, then."  
  
"And her," Misty nodded to Mew, who had quietened down a little. "What are you going to call her?"  
  
Tracey thought for a moment. "I don't know..."  
  
"You have to give her a really beautiful name," Misty commented. "It would suit her."  
  
What, like Misty? Tracey thought, but said nothing.  
  
"What's your favourite name?" Misty carried on.  
  
"Misty," Tracey blurted out without meaning to.  
  
"Misty's your favourite name?" She looked flattered.  
  
"Uh... yeah..." Tracey went red.  
  
"You could call her Misty..." Misty said thoughtfully.  
  
"I'll have to, now," Tracey said. "You know how it is, you pick a name and then you think of them as that and that's it, the name's stuck."  
  
"Yeah..." Misty turned her attention back to the Pokémon.  
  
"But as your name's Misty... how about we call her Little Misty?"  
  
"Oh, that's so cute!" Misty exclaimed loudly. Too loudly. Little Misty began to bawl again.  
  
"Whoops," Misty said sheepishly.  
  
Tracey picked Little Misty up and put her in his arms and rocked her like a baby. "Shh... shh..."  
  
Misty began to sing very softly.  
  
Tracey was reminded of those pretend games he--and everyone else--played as a young child. Especially the ones where you pretend to be a family. Tracey felt like he was playing families with Misty--and he didn't mind a bit.  
  
Little Misty smiled up a Tracey. "Mew!"  
  
"I think she said her first word," Tracey smiled.  
  
"Well, let me hold her then," Misty said, "since she's named after me and everything."  
  
Tracey happily handed his "baby" over.  
  
"Hello, Little Misty!" Misty said softly.  
  
Suddenly, Tracey heard the latch on the front door click. "I'm back, guys!" Brock called. "I bought the milk... and a newspaper, I didn't think you'd got one today, and a loaf of bread for lunch, and a cake, to celebrate the birth of Mew."  
  
"Oh, hi Brock!" Misty practically ran up to him, Tracey thought jealously. Little Misty however did not enjoy this sudden ride, and began to scream.  
  
"Err, Tracey," Misty yelled, "do you want her back now?"  
  
Tracey began rocking her again and Brock found a baby's bottle in his backpack and filled it with milk. Misty didn't bother to even ask what that was doing in there. She stood around a little uselessly, not knowing whether to cover her ears or not.  
  
"Here," Brock said, handing Tracey the bottle. "See if she'll drink this."  
  
Tracey held the bottle near Little Misty's mouth and she started to suck happily. She downed the entire bottle, and then fell asleep. "Ahh, silence," Misty said happily. The three of them stood awkwardly, not knowing what to say.  
  
"She needs a crib or something to sleep in," Tracey said eventually.  
  
"Maybe Mrs Ketchum has something," Misty said helpfully. "She might have something Ash used to use."  
  
"Good idea," Tracey said. "One of you better go, though." He didn't point out that Mrs Ketchum didn't particularly like him, for some reason.  
  
"I'll go," Misty offered. "Maybe I can talk to Ash." She said his name happily.  
  
She's like that with all guys, Tracey thought miserably. She's as bad as Brock.  
  
After she'd gone, Brock said, "Tracey, are you okay? You look a bit... crushed."  
  
"I'm fine," Tracey said, but he wasn't convincing Brock, or himself.  
  
"So," Brock said, doing what he thought was tactfully changing the subject, "have you decided on a name?"  
  
"Yeah," Tracey said depressively, "Little Misty."  
  
"Oh."  
  
They both stood in silence for a minute or two, and then Brock went round and tidied everything away, and put the milk in the fridge, while Tracey rocked Little Misty in his arms very gently.  
  
Brock couldn't help but get the vacuum cleaner out and run round the kitchen and the lab with it after he'd tidied up. Tracey settled for staring at Little Misty adoringly until Misty returned.  
  
Misty slammed the front door on her way in, and Tracey groaned. "Can't she do anything quietly?"  
  
"All she had," Misty said, "was a this baby basket thingy, but I thought that'd do."  
  
Little Misty, however, had blinked her big green eyes open and stared around the room. She gave a little yawn, and Tracey thought for one suspenseful moment that she was going to cry again. 


	5. The reporters arrive

But instead she just looked at Misty and said, "mew!"  
  
Tracey breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"So how's Ash?" Brock asked, breaking the silence.  
  
"He'll live," Misty said. "He's a bit funny about it all right now though."  
  
The doorbell rang and they all looked at each other. "That might be him now," Misty suggested. She went to answer the door.  
  
The door was unlocked and whoever it was had almost opened it already when Misty got there.  
  
"Hello, I'm from The Daily Moon," he said, naming a famous Kanto-Johto newspaper. "I heard you've got a rare Pokémon in here..."  
  
"Uhh..." Misty wasn't sure what to do, especially when the reporter and a photographer barged their way into the lab. She just hoped Brock and Tracey would know how to deal with them.  
  
"And there it is!" the reporter said cheerfully. "Did you see it hatch?"  
  
The photographer shoved past Misty and stuck a camera in Little Misty's face. The flash startled her, and she let out a loud cry.  
  
The photographer stepped back. "Is it going to explode?"  
  
And then the front door flew open again and Professor Oak, Mrs Ketchum and Ash, looking even more like a family than ever, ran in.  
  
"Um, hello," Oak said, looking confusedly at the reporter.  
  
"I'm from The Daily Moon and--"  
  
Oak got his voice suddenly. "Can you please LEAVE?"  
  
Prof. Oak is scary when he's mad, Misty thought.  
  
The reporter mumbled an excuse and then ran out the door.  
  
"We didn't mean to let them in," Tracey said quickly.  
  
"They invited themselves in," Misty explained.  
  
"Hmm," Oak said, weighing up the situation.  
  
"Is someone gonna make that thing shut UP?" Ash asked loudly.  
  
"Shh, Little Misty," Tracey said, rocking her.  
  
"Do you want me to try?" Misty asked. Tracey wasn't sure it was a good idea, but couldn't help passing her over anyway.  
  
Misty sang softly and rocked her, while everyone watched her, Little Misty growing quieter with every note, until she mumbled a little, gave a squeak, and fell silent. 


	6. Cake! (or The Short Chapter)

"You're getting good at that, Misty," Tracey commented.  
  
"Hmm," Misty agreed. She handed Little Misty back to Tracey, who put her in the basket.  
  
"I still don't think it's fair that Tracey gets to keep it," Ash mumbled under his breath.  
  
"Cheer up, Ashy-boy," Misty said annoyingly, lifting his hat and ruffling his hair.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"He's back to normal," Misty said with a grin.  
  
"You know," Ash said hopefully, "I think it's lunchtime."  
  
"I think he's seen the cake," Tracey laughed.  
  
"Cake?" Ash asked innocently.  
  
"He's back to normal," Misty grinned, and grabbed his hat and ran off with it.  
  
"Give that back!" Ash yelled, and chased her out the back door.  
  
"Mewwww!" wailed Little Misty.  
  
"Cake, anyone?" Brock asked. 


	7. Close your eyes, Barney the Dinosaur (th...

Tracey stared depressively out the window at Misty as Ash chased her around the garden.  
  
"She's pretty, huh?" Brock asked, joining Tracey.  
  
Tracey jumped. He didn't know he was that obvious.  
  
"Oh come on Tracey, you have to hide it a bit," Brock sighed. "You have to get good at blocking that adoring look."  
  
"So that's why you keep your eyes shut all the time."  
  
"It's the only way, man," Brock joked. "No, serious, you're not the only one who's after her. But she wants Ash."  
  
"I know," Tracey groaned. "Why do I have so much competition?"  
  
"She's got plenty of time to change her mind," Brock said optimistically.  
  
"Hmm," Tracey said without feeling.  
  
"Where there's a will there's a way?" Brock suggested.  
  
"Mm," Tracey said, not really listening.  
  
"Oh, cheer up, she'll hate you if you sit around being depressed all the time…"  
  
"Really?"  
  
"How long have I known that girl?"  
  
"Well," Tracey said reasonably, "why haven't you asked her out?"  
  
"Same reason you haven't."  
  
"Ohhh… stupid Ash."  
  
Brock smiled. "Look, it could be worse."  
  
"How?"  
  
"Ash could make you watch Barney The Dinosaur."  
  
"Hey guys," Ash puffed, running in through the door and slamming it in Misty's face while pulling his hat back on, "let's go watch Barney The Dinosaur!"  
  
"Brock…" Tracey said warningly.  
  
"Hey, I didn't know he'd say that!"  
  
"Mewwwwwwwwwwwwwww!" Little Misty wailed, annoyed at being ignored.  
  
"I'll look after Little Misty, while you watch Barney," Tracey said quickly.  
  
"I think you need my help too," Brock insisted.  
  
"Uh…" Misty said.  
  
"Go watch Barney with Ashy-Boy, Mist," Brock said.  
  
She glared.  
  
Oops, thought Brock, only Ash gets away with calling her that. 


	8. "Do you know what he did?"

"Be quiet, Little Misty," Tracey said, a little impatiently. He'd been rocking her for about ten minutes and was beginning to get sick of it.  
  
"Do you want me to have a go?" Brock asked, crawling out a cupboard he'd been cleaning out.  
  
"Yeah, please," he begged, handing her over. "And please stop tidying our house! The professor will kill you, he'll never be able to find anything again."  
  
"I can't help it," Brock muttered. "I can't stand mess."  
  
"And this place is a pigsty, I know," Tracey admitted.  
  
Little Misty wailed for a bit longer, then squeaked, and then finally yawned and went quiet.  
  
"Ah, peace," Tracey smiled.  
  
"Just like her namesake," Brock commented. "So darn noisy!"  
  
There was silence for a moment. Then…  
  
"You little worm, Ash Ketchum!" Misty yelled.  
  
"Uh oh," Brock murmured.  
  
"Idiot!" Misty continued.  
  
"Don't you think you ought to stop them?" Tracey asked anxiously. "She might kill him or something."  
  
Brock laughed. "There's nothing I can do to stop Misty; you just have to let her temper run its course. And dive out the way if she charges in your direction."  
  
Tracey laughed too. "Oh, okay then."  
  
There was silence, and then Misty yelled, "I'm going to kill you, Ash Ketchum!"  
  
"What's up with her?" Tracey asked. "I mean, Ash hasn't said anything and—"  
  
The kitchen door flew open and Misty charged in. Her face was red and she looked—err, quite mad.  
  
"Something the matter?" Brock asked.  
  
"YES!"  
  
"Meeeeewwwwwwwwww!" Little Misty wailed.  
  
"I'll take her in the garden," Brock said hurriedly, dashing out the back door, leaving Misty and Tracey alone in the kitchen.  
  
"Err, so what's the matter?" Tracey asked nervously.  
  
Misty sat on a stool for a moment, steaming. "I hate Ash," she muttered a moment later. "Do you know what he did?"  
  
It was pretty obvious Tracey didn't, so he just shook his head. 


	9. Shortest Chapter Ever, and a little note...

Misty sighed. "Oh, it isn't FAIR!"  
  
Which didn't help Tracey find out what he did. "So… what did Ash do?"  
  
"He… he…" Misty burst into tears, which was most unlike her.  
  
"Uhh…" said Tracey nervously. He didn't know what to do now. Hurry up and come back inside, Brock, he thought urgently. Brock would know what to do. He sat on the stool opposite, watching her. He bit his nails. Oh, please Brock, help…  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Author's Notes: Well, I still don't own Pokémon, or Tracey (thank goodness!). But… I got ten reviews! Yay! That's really good, at least it for me. Thank you everyone who reviewed, especially anyone who reviewed more than once, I am forever in your debt. I know this is a short chapter (even shorter than Cake!) But I ran out of steam half way through, and had already posted the chapter before. And I wanted to put this note in.  
  
I am considering Thirdwheelshipping (Brock 'n' Tracey) further in this story (where will it ever end?). What does anyone think? Will it totally ruin everything? I mean, I know it's a lot of Orangeshippy stuff, but I think that could be a good direction to take it in. Since I like yaoi stories (espesh Brocketshipping, yay for James and Brock!), but I'm interested as to what everyone else thinks. If it's a sucky idea, TELL ME! I won't write the next chapter until I get a review about this, or… until I get bored. I should think it will stay PG though. PG-13 at the most. Nothing bad. Ooh, this is long. Sorry. Well, I must go now. Have fun!  
  
**Saves and uploads** 


	10. The almighty Tenth Chapter! Err, okay, s...

Tracey was ready to start praying when Brock appeared. "Hi—ohh," he said when he saw Misty was sitting there crying her eyes out.  
  
Little Misty, surprisingly, was silent in Brock's arms. Misty stopped for a moment and peered up at Brock. "What?" She asked, as if it wasn't obvious why two of her friends were staring at her tear-stained face.  
  
"Err…" began Brock. "Misty, are you okay?"  
  
"Oh, yeah, sure," she said quickly, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. "Great. But I'm gonna… go home now," she added, referring to Ash's house.  
  
"Oh… okay," said Brock, how was now very confused.  
  
"That was weird," Tracey commented when Misty had left the room.  
  
"Nah," Brock said. "That was just Misty."  
  
The two of them laughed, more to break the tense atmosphere in the room than anything else.  
  
"Mew!" Little Misty called. "Mew!"  
  
Brock went red. "Did she just call me… Daddy?"  
  
Tracey nodded. "That's sort of sweet."  
  
"She calls you… Mommy?"  
  
"Yeah, I think so."  
  
"I bet the professor would like to know how that one came about!" Brock laughed, referring to the fact that they were both human males, and… ahem.  
  
"Do you think Misty will be okay?" Tracey asked, changing the subject hastily.  
  
"Yeah, she'll be completely back to normal by tomorrow," Brock said. "Trust me."  
  
Tracey nodded. Brock was probably right.  
  
"Her and Ash will just kiss and make up, and then… fall out again in a couple of days," Brock predicted confidently. "Well, not literally, but… oh, you know what I mean."  
  
Tracey nodded again. He was beginning to feel like Noddy, nodding all the time. He nodded once more. "Uhh…" he said nervously, unsure of how to continue the conversation.  
  
"Um…" Brock ummed agreeably. "Err…"  
  
The two of them sat in silence, Tracey tapping his nails against the worktop and Brock trying to fight the urge to start cleaning again. "Ohh… please Tracey, can I just tidy the kitchen?" Brock begged. "Wash the windows, sort the cupboards, something. I'm going crazy sitting in a house I can't clean."  
  
"If you want," Tracey shrugged. He paused for a moment. "What do you think Ash did that was so bad?"  
  
"No idea," Brock said, with his head in a cupboard looking for cleaning materials, "but it probably had something to do with really bad toilet humour."  
  
*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(  
  
Not really much in this chapter, but Tracey's just a little awkward since he doesn't know Brock too well. I know there's a lot of nervous humour, but haven't you ever been in that situation? As for what's going on with Misty, even I don't know. It will be revealed in the future, when I know.  
  
I'd like to thank all my reviewers, and dedicate this chapter to them (to name them, it's Rocket Flame, Blackjack Gabbiani, Myst-Lady, Stranger Ishida, Myst-Lady again, Azure Sketchit, Myst-Lady once more, Mew*Gal, Neekachu, Myst-Lady twice more, Eevee, and Snakelady Frohike), I love you all, thank you so much. Especially Myst-Lady, thanks for all your reviews, you are truly great. THANK YOU!!! 


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